Another Side of The Sky
by Sweetbrier
Summary: Adapted from TMGS2, Aoi/Saeki/Shiba. The sky Aoi and the boy from her past probably won't be the same as that time. Not anymore.
1. Chapter 1

_Heroine's name is Mizugi Aoi._

_**CHAPTER 1: THE WIDE SKY**  
><em>

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><p>The sound of the waves and the smell of the sea, it's nostalgic. I closed my eyes as I walking down the road. It's been a long time since I first came here. The sea breeze touched my skin, brought the warm smell of sea along with it. I remembered, when I came here, I was crying. I don't know the reason why. But I was sitting at the beach, crying over something which I cannot remember anymore.<p>

_Alone?_

I slowly opened up my eyes and tightened my grasp. I'm not alone at that time. I remembered clearly, there's a boy. I don't remember his face or his name anymore, but I have a feeling I _did _know who that boy was. I know he was the reason I stopped crying. I remembered how he asked if I'm a mermaid or not.

_A mermaid._

I kept walking down the street when I realized I'm at the beach. The sunshine touched my eyes, made me squinted a bit. It's warm and calming. I remembered I was at the same place as that time. The same town, the same beach, the same scenery, the same wind and the same sky. I still remember, the day when I can't find my father or my mother anywhere. The day when I cried. Also, the day when I met _him._

I lifted up my head, facing the sky. From today on, I'm a high school student. And for whatever reason, I won't cry anymore. I turned my gaze and stopped when I saw a building up on the hill. It looked pretty old so I started to walk closer to that building.

_Sangosho? Some kind of store, perhaps?_, I thought. I turned my eyes to the window, and saw someone there. I don't think he's that old, maybe he's around my age or so. But somehow, he looks kind of familiar, though I don't recognize ever met him before. I looked at my wristwatch, and gasped. It's almost the time to go home.

I ran down the hill, walked across the beach, trying to find my way home. And good grief—I forgot the way back. I ended up at the same place, despite how hard I tried to find my way back home. I leaked out a sigh. So I lost, and on top of that, today is my high school opening ceremony. I'll surely be in trouble if I can't go back home on time. I turned my back, and I saw the same person who I saw before, stood right behind me.

"Do you need anything?" he asked. I found his voice is kind of cold, he's not even smiling. I nodded, feel kind of guilty. "Uhm, I lost. Can you give me a direction? I came here before when I was a child but I lost my way because it's been such a long time, so..." I answered with a low voice.

"Oh." He said. "I'll throw this first, then I'll draw you a map so you can go back to the station. Is that okay? Alright, now move. You are blocking my way."

I glanced at his hands, they both carried a big trash plastic, and move a little further so he can go throw the trash. He doesn't have to say it that way, though. I mean, he can say that a little more polite than that, right? Now I understand what they meant by don't judge a book by its cover. It's kind of true now.

After that, he went back to the store. A few minutes later he came up and handed me a little scrap of paper. "You just have to follow the direction I drew you here." He didn't say anything other than that—he glared at me too, as if telling me to go away, so I just bowed and rushed back home. I looked at the paper he gave me on my hand. Nobody can say it's a good drawing, though as a direction map, it's not that awful.

Around ten minutes after that, I arrived at the station and took the train. I glanced at my wristwatch on my left wrist hand. It says I still have about twenty more minutes before the opening ceremony begin. I sighed deeply this time, leaned my back against the train chair. That rude man—I don't know why, but it feels nostalgic. And I can't shove him off my mind, too. _I wonder why._

"Attention, passenger. We are arriving at Habataki Station shortly."

I rushed out as soon as the train stopped. Today is 1st April, and we are in the middle of spring. So it's not that weird when so many of cherry blossoms petals are floating beautifully. But still, I stopped and watched them falling slowly. The spring breeze feels so comforting when uncountable cherry blossoms petals floating around.

"…Ah!"

A startled man's voice made me turned my back, stopped me from watching the scattered cherry blossoms. The very same man I met this morning. The only thing that's different is that he's wearing the same uniform as me. "You are… from this morning. So you are a high school student?"

"Wait, come here for a second!" He suddenly draw closer and grabbed my wrist, dragged me to the back of the school building. "So you are a first year…"

I nodded. "Uhm, yeah. I'm Mizugi Aoi, nice to meet you. About this morning—"

Before I can finish my line, he quickly stopped me with his voice. "Saeki Teru, first year. About this morning, make sure you don't talk about it at all at school. Do you understand? I mean, the fact that I work at the store."

"I won't tell anyone." I replied. "Ano, but—"

"That's all. Later."

Saeki rushed back without listening to what I need to say. I leaked out a deep sigh once again. _Why does he have to act so important like that?_, I thought. I shook my head and slap my own face. _No, focus! Forget about him, you won't ever have any business with him anymore so get back to your senses! From now on, you are a Hanegasaki High School student. You have tons of things to worry about other than thinking about him!_

A long, boring speech delivered by the principal at the opening ceremony began shortly after I got back. Just another typical non-important speech that can bring you to sleep after five minutes since started. The students scattered after the opening ceremony ended, so do I. I walked around the corridor, looked up trying to find my classroom.

"Are you, by any chance, looking for your classroom?"

I turned around and a girl with long, black hair smiled at me. She's pretty, so typical old-fashioned Japanese girl with her way of speaking, since she speak in a very polite way. She's tall, skinny and so feminine. "Ah, yes. I'm looking for class 1-B."

"Class 1-B is that way." She said softly. I bowed and thanked her, calling her a senpai since I thought that she's older than me, but she replied in a dissapointed voice. "Do I really look that old? We're in the same grade though… But, it's fine. My name is Mizushima Misoka. "Misoka" from the same kanji as "secret". Nice to meet you."

"My name is Mizugi Aoi. Nice to meet you too, Mizushima-san."

"Fufufu, my horoscope for today said that I will meet a new friend when asked for direction. Do you think we can be friends?"

"Of course." I replied with smile.

"It would be nice if our high school days can be fun." She chuckled, tingled her fingers behind her back. "They have many clubs here. Are you planning to join one?"

"Probably…" I replied with a low voice as we walked together to our own classrooms. "What about you, Mizushima-san?"

"I'll probably join the brass band club." She answered with a little sweet laugh. "Don't you have something in mind? They have quite a lot of clubs here, I think."

"I don't know… yet." I shrug, stopped my feet right in front of my classroom by the time the bell rang. "Well, I'll see you later, Mizushima-san."

The classroom is quite a fuss right now. Some boys were gathered together in one group while the girls were gathered together in one corner. I stepped my foot inside and someone tapped my shoulder from behind. A man with a brown hair and laboratory white jacket smiled at me. "It's almost time, right? Get to your sit."

He clapped his hand a few times and stood in front of the class. "Everyone, calm down." I don't know why but most of the class laughed when he said that. Probably because he doesn't look scary at all, I'm not sure. But he doesn't look like he's bothered by it, so I guess its okay. Or maybe, he's used to it. Whatever is fine. "Eeeh, first of all, I want to say congratulations and welcome to Hanegasaki High. I'm Wakaouji Takafumi and from now on, I'll be your homeroom teacher for the next one year. And, uh, let's everyone have their self-introduction. Uhm, how about we start with this row?"

I felt like everyone were glancing at me so I stood up. "My name is Mizugi Aoi. I just moved to this city a little while ago. Nice to meet you." I bowed a little but when I tried to sit back, someone's voice interrupted me.

"Say, when is your birthday and your hobby?"

"I was born on January 1st and I don't really have any particular hobbies but I'm quite good at gymnastic fitness I guess."

I heard a lot of whisphers after that, and when I sat back on my chair, someone poked me from behind. I turned my face and a girl smiled at me. "Hey, hey. Did you watch Fashion Report last night?" A kansai dialect. I nodded at her as an answer. "Yeah, about that lipstick?"

"Right, right. Do you remember what kind of lipstick they were talking about? I'm not sure, I think it's something ended with "smile". Uhm, uhm. They were also talking about that brand new accessories from the store near the station."

"I think it's called Angel Smile. Oh, and you were right. The accessories was so cute, isn't it? Even though it maybe expensive."

She nodded with agreement and excitement. "Yes, yes! I wish I could get a little bit more money from my part-time job. But I guess it's no use. I mean, not everyone could look cute with that accessories. I know it's kind of irresistable since it's kind of cute, no it really is cute! Phew, maybe I should wait until New Year, but New Year is your birthday! Gah, I'm confused. Anyway, I'm Nishimoto Haruhi, nice to meet you Aoi! I thought that you look kind of distant but actually you're really nice!"

"Me? Distant?"

"Yeah, I mean you're cute and somehow brought a different atmosphere, so—Well, anyway. I saw you this morning at the opening ceremony. Were you talking with Saeki Teru back then? That's amazing!"

I raised an eyebrow when she said that. "Amazing?"

"Hum, well. He's the school prince, that's why. Good in academic and sports, also… Well, he's nice to everyone, maybe that's why everyone likes him so much."

"He's not that… nice."

"You think so? That's kind of weird. Oh by the way, let's change phone number. They say we can't use our cellphone during the class, but anyway. Who follows the rule? Hey, hey. Did you went to this confectionary store? They have a really good rare cheesecake and shortcake. I love sweets sooo much. Doesn't matter you gained weight because of it or anything, who cares! Well I do care sometimes when somehow I gained 3 kilograms. Uuuh… Hey, hey. Do you want to eat lunch together today?"

_So, he seems to be nice to everyone. But he's not that nice to me. Or maybe it's just me?_

I lifted up my head. I sat next to the window, and because my classroom is on the second floor, I could see a wide sky as if it's next to me. The same sky I saw nine years ago. The very same sky I saw when I still have my father and my mother besides me. I narrowed my eyes a little. I'm seeing the same sky as that boy saw. That day, or maybe right now if he's still here. If I, somehow, meet him, I know I'm not the same anymore.

_I won't be the same as myself nine years ago._


	2. Chapter 2

_**CHAPTER 2 : MEETING**_

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><p>I flipped a scrap of paper on my desk repeatedly. I gazed at the front side of the paper and flipped it over and over. I leaked out a deep sigh and leaned my back against the chair. It's been almost seventeen times I flipped that paper over. I folded it and slipped it to my book. I'll look at it again when I feel like it. I glanced at the clock, stood up and decided to go out of the classroom for a short walk.<p>

The corridors are kind of quiet even though its lunch breaks. Probably because most of the students chose to eat their lunch outside. I turned my gaze to the window. As always, the wide, blue sky is always there. It's weird—they are so far away yet for a moment I could feel that they're so close. But at the same time, while I felt that they're close, I still couldn't reach it.

With my eyes glued to the ground, I slowly retrace my steps. _It's useless_, I silently whispered to myself. _It's not about how far, it's not about distance. Do you really want to reach it or not?_ I was so absorbed by my own minds when suddenly I feel a huge impact on my shoulder when I bumped at someone unintentionally. I almost couldn't stay balanced when a big hands held grabbed me in the arm, prevented me from falling.

I looked up and I saw someone held me closely. Intimidating looking eyes gazed at me without expression. I feel so small when compared to him. He's tan and very tall, with big and strong hands. He's somewhat scary but somehow I don't know why—I'm not scared at all. "You okay?" His deep voice made me realized from watching him. I nodded silently and he slowly let go of my arm. "I'm sorry."

I shook my head. I got a feeling that, the one who is not paying attention is me. So, it's my fault that I bumped at him. I'm at fault, and he shouldn't be the one who apologize. "No, I'm sorry. I'm at fault. I didn't pay attention."

He showed a faint smile before he walked past me. I was about to take another step forward when his voice rose again. "Mizugi Aoi?" I turned and I saw him stood right in front of me with a student ID on his hand. "You dropped your student ID." He said.

"Eh, really? Thank you." I reached his hand and took my student ID card. As expected, he's tall. I'm at the same height as his chest so I have to lift my head up to see his face. He must be an upperclassman. "I'm sorry, thank you, senpai."

"Senpai? Aren't you on first grade?" He asked, and looking confused, I nodded. "Then you shouldn't use any honorific. I'm on a first grade, too."

"Eeeh? Really?" Realized that I just said something so impolite, I closed my own mouth with my hands. I thought he's going to scold me, but without expecting it, he suddenly laughed. I was astonished for a moment. He doesn't look scary or intimidating at all when he laughed like that. "Ah, I'm Mizugi Aoi. What's your name?"

"Shiba Katsumi." He answered, smiled faintly. "I'll see you later, Mizugi." I nodded silently, watching his back slowly fade away. I stared at my student ID card that he picked earlier. He's scary, intimidating—but there's something about him that's not that scary or intimidating. Meeting him isn't like when I first met Saeki. I don't feel nostalgic at all, but there's something more than just a nostalgic feeling.

I looked out at the window with mixed feelings. I raised my right hand to my upperleft arm and gripped my cloth. I couldn't pinpoint what feeling is that. I don't even know what I'm feeling right know. What is it called when your heart beating faster than normal and you feel your cheeks hot?

_I wonder what that is._

"Aooooooooi! Where were you? Aren't we supposed to eat lunch together today?" Haruhi poked my back when I got back to class, the same time the bell rang. I just laughed, apologized and sat back on my chair. I still couldn't get my eyes off my student ID card. I still remember how Shiba-kun smiled. It's just a faint smile, but I couldn't see any fakeness inside that slight smile.

_That's odd._

The rest of the class passed quickly. I stood up and grabbed my bag then walked out of the classroom. To go home, this time. I walked past the baseball field when I saw someone I know standing outside the field, gripping the fence with his fingers while watching the team playing closely. I was frozen for a moment when I saw that. The looks in his eyes was somewhat different. It seems lonely.

I drew closer silently and stood right beside him. He doesn't look like he's noticing me but I just stood there, turned my gaze to the field. "Are you interested in joining?" I asked. He startled a bit, and then turned his eyes to me, but I didn't look back at him and he turned his eyes back at the field.

He leaked out a deep sigh. "It's not like I want to join or anything." He answered. "I'm just watching them play."

"Do you like baseball?" I asked slowly, now lifted up my head to look at his face. He kept his mouth close and didn't answer. "Do you know that there's another side of the sky we don't know about?"

"…The sky?" He answered with his deep voice this time, and I nodded with smile.

"There's another part of the sky that you just couldn't reach no matter how bad you want to reach it. But there's another that you can reach, but at the same time, you are afraid to reach it. No matter how hard you try to deny that kind of feeling, it's just won't disappear. You are afraid, yet—you couldn't bring yourself to let go. It's complicated."

"It's complicated." He responded, again with a faint smile.

"And, it's just my feeling. It feels like, you were watching the sky you are afraid to reach when you looked at the field earlier."

He was silent for a moment, and so do I. We were watching the batter hit the ball and ran safely to the first base without saying a word even though the player shouting with a little laughter sometimes. "I don't know," he finally spoke a word. "Those kinds of sky exist."

"Because they look the same?" I asked.

He shook his head and lifted it up facing the sky. "No—I think it's because I'm watching a different sky right know." He narrowed his eyes a little and I could see the intense loneliness and helplessness in there. "I'm watching the latter sky you told me about. Even though I used to watch the first one—I don't know since when the sky I'm seeing changed."

"I don't know either." I smiled wryly. "All I know now is that when I lifted up my head and looked up at the sky, the scenery just changed. I don't feel the same feeling I used to feel. And that's complicated because I don't know since when, or the reason why. It's frustrating sometimes."

"Are you going home now?" Shiba looked at me and I nodded as an answer. He glanced at his wristwatch. "It's a little late, I'll walk you home."

"No, it's okay. My house is nearby so—"

"It's _not_ okay. I'll walk you home." Shiba smiled faintly and walked in front of me. I followed him, so instead of walking side-by-side, he led the way while I walked behind him trying to keep up with his long step. We walked down the slope, and I turned my eyes a bit to the left. The sea is sparkling, reflected the sunset. The sky was covered with scarlet and orange when I looked up. It was beautiful.

I stared at Shiba-kun's wide back when he suddenly stopped and turned his back. "Do you know why the sea is blue?" he asked. I shook my hand and stood beside him. "It's because the sea is reflecting the sky's color. Isn't that just like your name?"

"My name?" I answered in confusion. He showed me a smile. A different smile than the faint smile he usually show and warm-looking eyes. My heart skips a beat when I heard his voice once again.

"Mizugi Aoi—Water and blue. It's as if you're the one who connect the sea and the sky together. It's as if you're the one who brought them together. It's as if, you are the reason why they are here. Isn't it awesome?"

"I never thought that…" I chuckled. "But that's pretty cool."

"It's awesome." He said, still with the same smile he showed me. The sun showered him with an orange and scarlet color. He looks like the sea, sparkling because of the reflected sunlight. We continued to walk home, but this time, we walked side-by-side. There's something that's different. My heart beats faster than the first time I met him and I couldn't look at his face. I touched my hot cheeks silently as we walked home without anymore sound other than our own steps sound.

_Maybe I caught cold._


	3. Chapter 3

Just a few weeks before the long-awaited summer break, the second Friday of June was the athletic meeting. _Get__ready,__set,__go_, and then _bang_—the sound of an air pistol can be heard every now and then. Without having anything to do, I watched the three-legged run from afar together with a bunch of girls from my class. After participating for girl's 400 meter long run, I was out of breath.

"You did a good job for the 400 meter long race earlier."

I lifted my face up and found Mizushima smiling and took a seat besides me.

"I lost to you, though. You never told me you are a super-fast runner."

"Oh, my." Mizushima giggled. She offered me a bottle of water, which I gladly accepted. She casted her eyes and pointed her fingers at something as I was about to finish the bottled water she gave me. "It's Saeki-kun, right? He's going to compete for the three-legged race?"

"It seems like it." I glanced over and answered indifferently. I remembered that the cute girl who was Saeki-kun's partner was one of his fans from a class next door, though. Mizushima's next question made me choked on my water right away.

"Aren't you jealous?"

"Why would I be jealous?" I asked her back awkwardly while trying to wipe the water I spilled off my lips.

"Well, the two of you seems close enough." Mizushima smiled, which I couldn't distinguish from a teasing smirk.

"Close _enough_, you say."

"Well, aren't you?"

"I wonder." I answered.

I glanced at Saeki who was sitting down on the ground, laughing and joking around before the race starts, and for some reason I couldn't take my eyes of him when he stood up in an odd way—I know he is odd even from the very beginning, but something was off.

I squinted my eyes and that was when I abruptly stood up and ran, shocking Mizushima who sat next to me.

She called my name in confusion, but I couldn't hear anything else other than Saeki's stupid laugh. When I got close enough and with a forceful attitude, I reached to Saeki and grabbed one of his arms.

I looked down at Saeki's eyes as he looked at mine blankly. "Wha—" was the only thing he could say for the sudden confrontation.

"You, come with me." I said. "I don't have time for stupid response." I whispered low enough to his ears and dragged him away without waiting for anymore of what he was about to say. Everyone was looking at us with a similar state of confusion in his or her eyes, but I ignored them as I pulled Saeki down to the school building's hallway.

"Oi, Aoi! What do you think you are doing? I have a race after this!" Saeki protested.

"Yeah, you. What do you think you are doing with that leg?"

"—eh?"

"Don't give me an 'eh'!" I protested back and turned around to face him. "You hurt your leg, didn't you?"

Saeki astoundingly stared at me, and I sighed loudly at him. "Seriously, just what is going on with that brain of yours?"

I opened the school infirmary's room door, but nobody was there. "Ah, sensei is not here. If I'm not wrong she put the bandage rolls inside the cabinets around here. Oh, it's there."

I walked to the far left cabinet and took out a small roll of a bandage. I looked out the window and spotted Shiba-kun with the corner of my eyes. He was standing near the starting point, and when I was wondering what he was possibly doing, I realized that it was almost the boy's turn for the 400 meter dash.

The only thing that crossed my mind was that I wanted to see him and say 'good luck' before the race started.

I switched back at Saeki who was sitting on the infirmary bed, looking down on his feet.

"Here, show me your leg." I said, and squatted down to touch his leg, but Saeki pushed my hand away.

"I don't need your help." Saeki said with a low voice, almost like a weak whisper. "Just go away. Why do you have to meddle with my business? Don't you have anything better to do? I never asked for your help, anyway, I can do it by myse—Ow! What was that for?"

Right before Saeki finished talking, I threw the bandage roll on my hand to his forehead.

"What's with that attidute? Well, sorry if I have anything better to do! I'm just worried about you! Saeki, you idiot!"

"Wha—" He was at loss of words as he stared at me and my teary eyes.

Why was I crying? Why was I worried about him in the first place, anyway? It seriously hurts. I don't to cry. I don't want to see me cry. Kh—

"I'm sorry."

I lifted my face up, and saw Saeki staring outside the window.

"I'm sorry." He repeated, still wasn't looking at me. "Thank you for worrying about me, but I'm fine. I got mad for no reason when I saw your face, that's why I said harsh things to you. I'm sorry." Saeki turned his eyes at me with a slight smile on his face. "You should go, the race is about to start."

"Eh…?"

"Don't give me an 'eh'. You were looking outside the window with that helpless look on your face, weren't you? Just go, I'll be okay. I'm going to stay here and wait for the teacher to come by."

"But, I—"

"_That __is _what I said."

"… All right, then." I turned my back and hesitantly walked toward the door. I halted when Saeki called my name the next second.

"Aoi."

"What is it?" I asked.

"… If, for some reason, you fall, and it hurts so much it makes you cry, come to me. I'll be there for you."

"If I fall, huh…? Well, there's still a three-legged race after this. I'll try my best not to fall, though. I'm not as idiot as you." I smiled a little, walked out, and closed the door behind me. "See you later, Saeki." 

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><p>"A three-legged race…? That girl is just as dense as ever."<p>

Saeki sighed in exasperation then faintly smiled. He switched his eyes again to the window and watched Aoi as she ran towards Shiba.

"Seriously… just what the hell am I doing? Looking hopelessly at her as she walks farther and farther away—"

He paused when he saw Aoi laughing from afar.

"If someday you fall, and it hurts you so much like it hurts me right now, just come to find me. I'll always be here, even if you don't notice me, even if you walk away from me after you wipe your tears dry—I'll be here.

If you hear what I'm saying right now, I doubt you will understand, but that is fine. If you hear me wishing that hopefully someday you will fall and come to me, are you going to hate me, though?"

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><p><strong>Hey, folks! So I decided to end the story here because of my lack of interest in TokiMemo right now. It's a shame, I know. I'm ashamed of myself, too. I haven't been touching the game since God-knows-how-long, so rather than just leaving the story untouched, I decided to end it here. Also, I want to say thank you so much for your kind review! It's a good feeling to know that someone enjoys my crappy-written story. I might write another story in TokiMemo section, or a sequel for this ... or maybe not, but I hope we will meet again! Adios!<strong>


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